THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



149 



v. grandiceps, more like double parsley than any fern known, the fronds 

 being of a delicate light greeu hue, and all terminating in wrinkled 

 crests. These are three fine subjects, which will be in great demand as 

 soon as they become known, and stock can be multiplied to place it at 

 the disposal of all corners — no small task, when you have a barren sub- 

 ject to deal with, or when the spores run back to the normal form of 

 the species. Suielet. Hibbeed. 



THE PLUNGING SYSTEM. 

 No. II. 



In choosing subjects for the plunging 

 system, it is very important to bear in 

 mind that a somewhat rigid, upright, 

 or fastigiate h.-- it is preferable to a 

 racemose or spreading habit. So, in 

 training plants for the purpose, up- 

 right pyramids and bushes are to be 

 pref rred to squat or tabular forms ; 

 and these upright bushes are much 

 more easily formed than any other 

 form; for if the proper subjects are 

 chosen, all that is needful is to tie 

 them tolerably close with suitable 

 stakes, and then they can be packed 

 close together in the bed. The last 

 remark puts me in mind of a cautionary 

 remark that is needful. After a cer- 

 tain time, the plants so packed toge- 

 ther lose their lower leaves, and 

 are, to a certain extent, the worse 

 for the treatment, and it becomes 

 necessary to remove them, and appro- 

 priate to the purpose another set. 

 This, the weak point of the system, is, 

 in fact, its strength, so to speak ; for 

 the practitioner is compelled to resort 

 to frequent changes, and the result is 

 a magnificent display at all seasons, — 

 such a display, in fact, as is impos- 

 sible under any other system. I shall 

 now come to particulars. 



A Grand Mixture for the Sum- 

 mer. — Last year I had in my jardiuet 

 a mixture of plants. It consisted of 

 a monster Prince of Wales fuchsia in 

 the centre. Tuis was in a large pot, 

 and its height was six feet. Ilound 

 the centre plant stood five plants of 

 Souvenir de Chiswick fuchsia, five feet 

 high ; then a circle of Gauntlet pelar- 

 gonium, four feet high; then a circle 

 of Lilium lancifolium ; and, as these 

 last were thin in leafage, as all liliums 



are, the next circle consisted of Vera- 

 tram album, which is one of the finest 

 of plants for filling in, the leaves being 

 of great size and of remarkable beauty, 

 and when used as in this case, they 

 serve to hide the pots and the stakes, 

 and all the other objectionable details 

 which it would be positively disastrous 

 to allow to be seen. The remainder 

 of the eight feet diameter was made up 

 of bushy plants of 3 feteor fuchsia, and 

 mixed with potted Perilla nankinensis 

 and Bijou geranium, three or four 

 or more plants of each kind together; 

 and the outside circle or boundary 

 was Christine geranium. When all 

 was done, it was still possible to see 

 the legs of the fuchsias and the pelar- 

 goniums by a careful inspection of the 

 affair ; so, having a good stock of the 

 noble Aspidistrum luridum variega- 

 tum in pots (another of the useful 

 plants for this work), they were intro- 

 duced and lodged on the pots in the 

 centre ; and their huge leaves com- 

 pletely hid the pots and sticks and 

 stems, and made a fine groundwork. 

 It will surprise a beginner in this prac- 

 tice to discover what a vast number 

 of plants is required for a bed or 

 clump of very moderate dimensions ; 

 as they are packed so close that the 

 pots touch, and the whole thing is 

 done just as you would pack a basket 

 to make an effect for an hour, or to 

 form a centre-piece at a flower-show. 

 There is but one rule needful to de- 

 termine how many plants will be re- 

 quired for a given space, and that is, 

 to calculate how maay pots of the 

 size to be used the space will accommo- 

 date, and that is the number of plants 

 that will be needed. Suppose you 



